Kanpur Zoological Park

Kanpur Zoological Park or Allen Forest Zoo (Hindi: कानपुर चिड़ियाघर / कानपुर प्राणी उद्यान), also called the Kanpur Zoo is a 110-hectare (270-acre) zoo in Kanpur, a large city in Northern India. It is the largest open green space in Kanpur and the largest zoological park in North India. Originally a natural habitat for fauna, it is one of the few zoos in India created in a natural forest. The animals inhabited in the Zoological Park have been put in open and moated enclosures. The moated enclosures give the animal ample space for movement and help in expressing their biological and physiological expressions.

In 2015, Kanpur Zoological Park added another feather in its cap, as it became a part of one of the handful of zoos in the country to receive an ISO certification of 14001:2004 for 'Environment Management System Standard’.

Kanpur Zoo vets, stuffed the void of a term to denominate a wild animal born in captivity, by amalgamating 'WILD' and 'DOMESTIC and coined 'WILDOMESTIC’. This has been widely recognised and accepted by wild lifers and print and electronic media. It has been recommended by all for inclusion in several dictionaries.

The Allen Forest Zoo is located about seven kilometres (4.3 miles) from the city's centre. In earlier colonial records, it is mentioned as being close to Nawabganj, a locality in Kanpur. The zoo is an oasis of green, featuring a natural lake and ancient trees.

The zoo is open for visitors on all days from 9 am to 5:00 pm, except on Mondays. Two electric cars are available for a 50 mins ride. The smaller one is a three seater and the larger one is a seven seater. Their charges are ₹120 and ₹210 respectively. Plastic bags are strictly banned inside of the zoo, and water is provided in coolers instead of in plastic bottles. Water, snacks and ice cream is available in plenty. Sulabh Shauchalayas have provided hygienic washrooms and well maintained R.O. plants are too present. Residents of the city can go for their morning walks within the premises of the spacious compound and can get a monthly ticket made for that purpose.

Ticket rates for entry in the zoo are ₹70 for adults and ₹35 for 5 to 12 age group while the toy train costs ₹50 for adults and ₹25 for 5 to 12 age group.

The Zoological Park in Kanpur, (earlier Cawnpore) was the brainchild of a botanist Sir Allen, a member of the British Indian Civil Service. Sir Allen wanted to open the zoo in a natural forest, but his plans were stuck in bureaucratic red-tape and did not materialize. The construction work of the zoo began in 1971 initiated and funded by the Forest Department of the Government of Uttar Pradesh.

Allen forest was developed during the British rule between the years 1913-1918 by George Berney Allen, a famous British industrialist of Kanpur on the banks of the river Ganga. The zoo was constructed from 1971-1975 under the supervision of an IFS officer Mr. R.S. Bhadauria who was the First Director of the zoo. The enclosures for animals and birds were designed on the latest trends in the field of zoo building technology, well spread along the lake on either side of a semicircular arterial road of about 9 km. length.